


something wild (calls you home)

by Queen_of_Moons67



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Transformation, Don't copy to another site, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Happy Ending, Team as Family, could be read as pre-slash, plus some comedy, this was supposed to be fluff and then it wasn't, though i managed to fit in some
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-19 05:03:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22472290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_of_Moons67/pseuds/Queen_of_Moons67
Summary: When Kotetsu goes missing, the other heroes lose themselves searching for him, while Kotetsu himself tries to tell them he’s the dog Bunny took in.
Relationships: Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr. & Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, Kaburagi T. Kotetsu & Everyone
Comments: 5
Kudos: 57





	1. Kotetsu and Barnaby

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I've been working on this fic for months now, and I'm proud to say that I finally finished it! It comes in at over 13k words, and five chapters. I'll be posting one every Wednesday!
> 
> Each chapter is told from the point of view of Kotetsu and one other person, who will be named in the chapter title.
> 
> Kotetsu is turned into a kai-ken, which is a dog breed famous for their tiger stripes!
> 
> Thanks as always to my beta Bookdancer, for their encouragement and editing, and for getting me into "Tiger and Bunny" in the first place.
> 
> I do not own "Tiger and Bunny," and the fic title comes from Lindsey Stirling’s song “Something Wild.”

Kotetsu woke up with a splitting headache, wondering what on earth Antonio had let him drink the night before. Except… Kotetsu furrowed his brow in thought. He hadn’t been drinking. He had gone for a walk and heard—screaming? Or something similar. Either way, he definitely remembered the spandex of his mask under his fingers, the soft press of it against his face. He had put it on for _something_ , and then… Kotetsu groaned. A giant, aching blank.

At least he was relatively safe, though. Light pierced his head even through his closed eyelids, so he was outside somewhere, not held captive in a warehouse. The main question was where, and was he injured enough that he would need to call a taxi. All of his bones ached, and his muscles felt like someone had treated them like a rubber band.

Opening his eyes, Kotetsu stared up the brick wall of an alley into a clear gray-blue sky. Someone’s white-leafed plant waved gently on a breeze, and—

Kotetsu blinked. Still white-leafed. He blinked again. Still white-leafed, and even for an alley in the city, this area was remarkably void of almost any colors. Kotetsu slammed his eyes closed tightly enough that he saw sparks, held them like that for a solid thirty seconds, and opened them again.

The plant still had white leaves. Why did the plant have white leaves?! Determined to figure out what was going on, Kotetsu tried to stand up, only to stumble back down when his legs didn’t move quite right. They were shorter than he was used to, bending in a way they weren’t supposed to, and—and there were four of them?

Kotetsu started whining in panic, a high-pitched noise that _should not be coming out of his throat_ and turned into a bark of disbelief.

Kotetsu decided to blame that panic for the fact it took him a minute to realize he had just _barked_. Like a _dog_.

Kotetsu twisted where he sat, not trusting his legs at the moment, but determined to get a full picture of what his body looked like.

His body twisted a lot more than he was used to. He was able to scramble around enough that his eyes faced his back—his fur-covered, hotdog-shaped, tail-attached back. Kotetsu whined again, and the tail tucked itself into his side, whip-thin and shivering.

What was he supposed to do now?

* * *

Barnaby wandered the streets staring at his phone. He had texted Kotetsu two hours before, wondering if the older man wanted to meet up for a movie or something, only to get nothing in return. If it was any other person, he wouldn’t worry, but this was _Kotetsu_. As a hero and a father, the man was religious in always having his phone on his person, volume on the ringer turned all the way up. And every text got an immediate response. Always. Even if it was just a thumbs up. Barnaby had asked why once, because it bordered on excessive, and Kotetsu had rubbed his head sheepishly.

“I can’t be there for Kaede in person most of the time,” he explained. “But I can be there virtually. If my daughter at least knows that I listen to her, that I hear her—I hope that she’ll come to me when she really needs that. But it kind of carried over into my texting with other people, too.”

Barnaby had snorted a “kind of?” He had grinned to ease the blow, and tucked the little piece of Kotetsu into his head. Now, he kind of wished he hadn’t.

“It’s just two hours,” he muttered, glancing at the clock on his phone, down at the lack of new texts, and then up at the building before him—Kotetsu’s apartment.

“It’s just two hours,” he told himself, climbing the stairs. “Everyone else would tell you not to worry. And they’d be right.”

“It’s just two hours,” he muttered, fishing the extra key Kotetsu had given him out of his pocket.

“It’s just two hours,” he thought to himself, staring around at an empty apartment. Dirty dishes were stacked in the sink, and examining them showed traces of an old dinner—but not that old. Probably from that night. And Kotetsu’s favorite shoes and jacket weren’t at the door, and there had been no sign of a break in.

“He probably went for a walk,” Barnaby said aloud. His voice echoed in the quiet, and with Kotetsu’s phone gone with the shoes and jacket, it did nothing to convince him his partner was alright. Barnaby settled on the couch. When Kotetsu came in, he would be waiting.

* * *

Barnaby jerked awake to the sound of the neighbors yelling next door. Momentarily confused as to why his glasses were still on, he glanced around and stilled as his memory came back—but Kotetsu obviously hadn’t. The tv he’d turned on after an hour was still on, the doorway shut and empty. And most telling was his glasses. He didn’t know why Kotetsu had picked the habit up, but the man tended to take them off and put them on the nearest flat surface for him when he fell asleep first.

Barnaby rubbed sleep from his eyes, then rushed for the door. There was no need for coffee; he was wide awake already.

* * *

Barnaby didn’t return to his own home till late that night. He and the other heroes, officially given permission to worry after Kotetsu didn’t show up and Barnaby told them about the previous night, had spent the day split between combing the streets, contacting anyone who might know where their coworker was, and taking care of regular hero work. When it neared midnight, and almost sixteen full hours of work, Agnes had charged in and barked that they would start separating the search for Wild Tiger into shifts. She would take shift one. Everyone else was sent home.

Staring up at his own building and remembering how he had done the same at Kotetsu’s the night before, Barnaby wondered why he had even bothered coming this far. He was going to spend the night on the streets, no matter what Agnes said—though he supposed he could use some fuel first. With that in mind, Barnaby took the elevator up, and came to a sudden halt at his own front door. Curled up, sound asleep and firmly blocking his way, was a medium-sized orange and black dog.

* * *

Kotetsu woke to a hand nudging his shoulder, first softly, then harder. “Mmm,” he groaned. “Okaa-san, just a bit longer…”

“Dog,” a familiar voice ordered. “You have to get up.”

“Buuuny-chan,” Kotetsu whined. “‘M not a dog… ‘m a _Wild Tiger_ … and what are you… doing here?” He trailed off as he opened his eyes to a black, white, and yellow Bunny staring down at him. “You look horrible!” He exclaimed. “Huge bags, Bunny, _huge_ , and, and why do you look like you’re in an old movie? What have you been doing?!”

He tried to scramble up, needing to poke and prod his partner for any hidden injuries, only for his legs to slip out from under him. He fell to the floor with a yelp, and only a quick hand from Bunny kept his head from smacking into the floor.

“Careful, dog!” Bunny cried. “Honestly, I have enough going on without worrying about you, too.”

Kotetsu didn’t answer him. The fall from too many legs, the repeated “dog” calls from Bunny, and his own sudden colorblindness had all combined into one huge reminder that, oh yeah, the Tiger _had_ been turned into a dog.

The panic startled another whine out of him, and he stared up at his partner with wide eyes, tail softly slapping the ground behind him. He had barely managed to figure out his legs enough to drag himself to Bunny’s, only for his partner to not show up for hours and hours. But he was here now. Bunny was here now, and they would figure something out together.

Kotetsu whined, then tried to get his legs to work again. They had gotten him here, right? They could work again, and then—

“Whoa, there, dog!” Bunny warned. The man laid a hand on his shoulder, pressing down gently but firmly. “Don’t you remember what happened last time?”

Kotetsu barked. Of course he did, but—

“Then take it slow.” Bunny stared down at him sternly, and Kotetsu huffed. Well. He supposed he could do that much.

* * *

Barnaby watched for a second, eyes narrowed, as the dog tried to struggle to his feet before caving and reaching to help. One arm around the dog’s chest, the other under his butt, lift, and—

“Come on,” he coaxed, bending his wrist awkwardly to pat the dog’s shoulder the best he could. “Put your legs down. I can’t hold you forever. That’s it, there we go.”

When he was sure the dog was holding his own weight, Barnaby took his arms away and crouched down on his heels.

“Are you injured?” He muttered, peering at the dog’s legs and petting him. “I don’t feel any hot spots… Sore, maybe?” He looked to the dog’s head, and found him staring back with wide eyes. “Though I don’t know why I expect you to know… or answer me,” he realized with a sigh. The heroes had split up to cover as much ground as possible, only really talking when necessary they were so distracted with Kotetsu’s disappearance. Considering Barnaby had grown used to the man’s constant chatter…

Something cold nudged his arm, and Barnaby looked up to find the dog looking up at him. The dog barked.

Barnaby let his hand come up to rub at the dog’s ears, closing his eyes. “You’re not Kotetsu,” he murmured. “No matter how much I wish you were.”

The dog barked again.

* * *

“But I _am_ ,” Kotetsu barked. “Bunny! Bunny it’s me!” He wagged his tail as fast as he could, till he had worked up the full body wiggles he had seen real dogs do, trying to create a giant “look at me” sign. “Bunny! Bunny! Bunnnnny!”

Bunny managed to crack a small smile. “At least you’re feeling better,” he noted. “And probably not injured after all, moving like that. Are you ready to come inside?”

“I’d feel a lot better if you realized the dog with tiger stripes was Wild Tiger,” Kotetsu replied.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Bunny stood, back cracking—seriously, what had his partner been doing all day—and opened his apartment door before standing to the side.

Instead of moving, though, Kotetsu eyed the suddenly long way between himself and the door. “Uh… Bunny-chan? I don’t think I can walk that.”

“Come on, dog.” Bunny made clicking noises with his tongue, and waved a hand.

“Seriously, Bunny?” Kotetsu muttered. Though he supposed he had to try walking again _sometime_ … He took a step forward, then quickly took another one when the first threatened to send him to the ground. And then another, because that was his paw almost right out from under him, and by the time Kotetsu passed through the door he was running full speed ahead for Bunny’s arm chair.

In hindsight, maybe Kotetsu should have realized that barely being able to walk also meant jumping was out of the question. As it was, Kotetsu tried to gather his legs under him, failed, and scrabbled at the floor till he finally managed to turn and slide, heavy and fast, into the side of the chair. Panting, Kotetsu flopped to the floor and prepared for Bunny’s laughter.

None came.

After taking a minute to regain his proper breathing skills, Kotetsu lifted his head and peered across the room. He almost lost those skills again. Bunny stared back at him, leaning against a closed door, with tears in his eyes. Sniffing, the man took off his glasses to wipe his eyes before replacing them and moving toward Kotetsu.

“Kotetsu would love you,” Bunny sighed.

“Eh?” Kotetsu blinked.

Bunny slumped into the chair, leaning forward and bracing his elbows on his knees. His eyes stared right into Kotetsu’s, green and piercing. Kotetsu couldn’t help but sit up straight, forcing his front legs to hold his weight and bring his head closer to Bunny’s level.

“Bunny?”

“We couldn’t find him,” Bunny whispered. “We spent the entire day looking for Kotetsu, and we couldn’t find him. I should still be out there, but—” Bunny’s hand curled into a fist “—but I need _sleep_ and a _break_. And now you. I can’t just leave you here when you need help. He wouldn’t want that. Even when you’re just a dog.” Bunny bowed his head into his clenched fist, his voice breaking on the last word, and Kotetsu’s heart broke with it.

Oh. That was—of course they had looked for him. He had been exhausted by the time he made it to the apartment, who knew how long it took him to get there, let alone how long he had slept undisturbed on the doorstep. And his coworkers—his friends—his _family_ had spent that time looking for him, stressed out of their minds.

Kotetsu whined, horrified he hadn’t tried to find them. Nevermind that his legs still didn’t work properly, or that Bunny hadn’t even recognized him yet—he should have done _something_.

“Bunny,” he whined, and nosed at his partner’s hands. “Bunny, look at me. It’s not your fault.”

Bunny raised his head, and Kotetsu rested his head on his partner’s hands, gazing up at him with eyes that, he hoped, expressed how much he cared for Bunny.

Bunny smiled softly—achingly—just one corner of his mouth lifted, the other frozen stiff. “You have to belong to someone, dog,” he said, shifting his hands so Kotetsu’s head rested on just one, the other lifting to a spot just behind his ear and scratching. “You’re too well-behaved otherwise—well, minus the attack on my chair.” He snorted, but his hand kept scratching, and Kotetsu kept his head there. It was a little weird, but if it was what his partner needed at the moment… if it was what he needed, Bunny could pet him all he wanted.

* * *

And ok, Kotetsu could see why real dogs liked it.

* * *

As much as Barnaby thought the dog probably needed to rest, he also wasn’t about to leave the dog in his home unattended. It was as much about the health of the dog as it was the safety of his home. He still wasn’t completely convinced the dog wasn’t injured, so he’d rather have him where Barnaby could keep an eye on him.

Though of course that was easier said than done. After granting himself a half hour to cleaning up, a half hour to food, and another half hour to sleep, Barnaby tried to coax the dog to the door. Instead, the dog rolled over on the floor and pointedly closed his eyes.

“Dog,” Barnaby called, toe tapping a bit in annoyance. “Now isn’t the time for sleep.”

The dog’s tail thumped once, and Barnaby couldn’t help but imagine a stern “yes it is.”

Barnaby’s toe tapping intensified. “I need to look for Kotetsu, dog. And I’m not about to wait till morning.”

The dog rolled over again, looking up at him with wide brown eyes, and Barnaby’s shoulders released tension he hadn’t realized they’d had. Walking over, he knelt next to the dog and rested a hand on its side.

Lowering his head to make eye contact again, he whispered, “It’s important, dog.”

The dog’s eyebrows shuttered together before relaxing again, and Barnaby sighed. Somehow, it felt like he was having an argument with an actual person.

“I’ll call a friend to join me, and you can get dinner,” he promised.

The dog barked, jowls open and smiling, before fighting to get his legs under him again. Smiling back, Barnaby steadied his shoulders before climbing to his own feet.

“Still a bit wobbly, huh, dog?” he asked. The dog’s shoulder leaned against his upper calf as they walked together, step by step, out the door to the elevator.


	2. Kotetsu and Nathan

Nathan was a number of things in life at the moment: worried enough about their friend that they were still awake, worried enough about their other friend to actually say yes to wandering the streets after dark, and yet still curious and obnoxious enough to have their first question be, “What’s with the dog?” Barnaby stared, but Nathan just shrugged unapologetically and stared back expectantly. Their fingers itched to pet the dog, but they could wait.

Barnaby sighed. “He was waiting for me when I got home. Just… sleeping in front of the door. I couldn’t just leave him there; now are we going or not?”

“Just give me a second, Handsome,” Nathan said. Satisfied with the answer, they crouched down on the hard cement and held their hand out toward the dog. “If he’s coming with, then he’d better be used to me, too.”

Barnaby stayed silent, and if he did something, Nathan didn’t see it, focused on the dog. Taking that as permission to take their time, Nathan cooed at the dog and wiggled their hand a bit.

“C’mere, boy!” Nathan crooned. “Time to meet your new family member!”

Barnaby choked, but the dog wobble-trotted forward to stick his nose into Nathan’s palm. The cold tickled, but Nathan beamed. “Nice to meet you, too! My name is Nathan, and— Barnaby, what’s his name?”

Nathan peered up at the younger hero, but Barnaby just shrugged. Nathan gasped. “You haven’t named him?! Well, we’ll just have to fix that,” they told the dog, working their fingers into the scruff at his neck and scratching. “Let’s see… what do you…”

Nathan trailed off, focusing for the first time on what the dog looked like. Before, the dark night sky had revealed only dark-striped, short fur. Up close, though, it became apparent that this was a kai-ken dog: a breed well-known for their orange and black tiger stripes.

Rubbing their hands up the dog’s neck to his ears, they scrunched them up a bit and, leaning in close, murmured, “We’ll just have to figure out a name that isn’t a descriptor, yes?”

The dog just looked up at them, and Nathan sighed, stood, and announced, “Well! I can’t think of anything immediately, so we’ll just have to figure it out along the way!”

Barnaby’s eyes narrowed. Nathan hurriedly said, “And by the way, what’s wrong with his legs? Will he be able to keep up?”

Barnaby’s eyes narrowed even more, but he apparently decided to accept the distraction as he answered, “If it’s an injury, I can’t find it. But the more he walks, the better he is at it, so he might just be stiff. And—” Barnaby looked away, but continued, “—I thought he might be able to track Kotetsu by scent.”

* * *

Scent. Kotetsu looked blankly at Bunny. That was the kind of thing you mentioned to your partner, right? Even when he was a dog and you didn’t _know_ he was a dog? That you planned—

Kotetsu whined, high-pitched and nearly silent, and barely stopped his trembling legs from finally taking him to the ground. What was he supposed to do? He’d never learned how to track even when he was human, and since he’d turned into a dog, he’d actually been trying to _not_ focus on his nose. It was just too much information when he wasn’t used to having smells be so strong.

And speaking of scent… _what_ , in the name of Mr. Legend, was _that_?! Kotetsu reeled backwards, eyes tightly closed—like that would actually do anything—and shook his head, taking deep breaths to try and clear his nose of whatever made it _burn_.

“Ooh, you poor thing,” Nathan cooed, hand descending again to rub at his head.

With his aching legs and burning nose, Kotetsu couldn’t stop himself from leaning into the pets, tail beating an embarrassing rhythm against the other hero’s legs.

“I know they’re stinky. Handsome will warn you next time, I promise.”

“How?” Bunny asked. “Fire, he’s just a dog.”

“You hush,” Nathan scolded. “He may just be a dog, but he’s a dog who’s just had Kotetsu’s socks shoved in his nose. You can have some mercy.”

…

Kotetsu truly, _truly_ , wanted to bury himself in pavement. With that not being an option, he settled for shaking it off the best he could.

He opened his eyes, stared his own—apparently very stinky—socks in the face, and took a deep breath. His nose still burned, but the distance helped. The smell coated his tongue, though, and stuck to the back of his throat with an oiliness that spoke of pizza, fried rice, beer, and sweat. Ew. He couldn’t believe Bunny actually picked the sock up, let alone shoved it in someone else’s face—even if he did think Kotetsu was a dog.

But the important thing was that that was a very distinct scent. If Kotetsu could lead his friends to the alley he woke up in… he had been out of it from shock and pain when he left, and he doubted he could find it by sight. But follow a trail? He still doubted it… this would take a lot of work, and he wasn’t about to get his hopes up. But it had a greater chance than anything else at the moment.

Kotetsu took a step backward, putting a bit more distance between himself and that sock, and pointed his head toward the sky like he’d seen so many dogs do. Some part of him noticed that Bunny and Nathan, who had been talking this whole time, fell silent. But the larger part of him focused on the job before him. Breathe in… and breathe out. Breathe in… sort the scents, maybe? People always talked about following a trail, right? But he had to find it first.

Kotetsu breathed in… and his eyes widened, tail starting to wag. Yes! There it was! It was actually really strong. Nose tilting even higher to the sky, he turned in a circle, still sniffing, to find himself staring at… his own home. Of course. That made sense. If Bunny had gone missing while not working, Kotetsu would start his own search at his apartment. The only problem was finding the most recent scent.

Kotetsu closed his eyes and breathed in deeper. Yes, there it was… the strongest one, that didn’t belong to the sock Bunny held… was right…. behind him? Kotetsu spun in a circle and blinked. No, it ended there, it—

If Kotetsu had still had hands, his face would be buried in them. Right. He had to block out the socks, but also _himself_. He did smell like dog now, but the underlying scent of his favorite foods hadn’t disappeared.

Kotetsu stuck his nose back in the air and closed his eyes. Focus. Focus. Ignore the socks… ignore yourself… which scent was the strongest…

* * *

Nathan watched Barnaby’s dog with narrowed eyes, hands on their hips. To be honest, they weren’t sure this would work. The kai-ken was a hunting dog, yes, but this one, from what Barnaby had said, seemed to have been on the city streets. There was no telling what it would find. And yet—

“No way,” Barnaby breathed, soft and just loud enough for Nathan to hear, before— “Follow him!”

“Yes, yes, I’m coming!” Nathan replied, boots clicking quickly on the pavement as they followed the kai-ken down the street at a run.

Barnaby’s dog had practically glued his nose to the sidewalk, following an invisible string straight down the side, tail wagging at mach speed behind him. If Nathan wasn’t so worried about Kotetsu, they might have laughed. The kai-ken looked like a dog who had only just discovered he could track, and was _very_ excited to see what he could do with it. He was so focused on the hunt, and moving so fast, that his limp had almost completely disappeared.

“Finally,” Barnaby muttered.

Nathan glanced at the younger hero. They would be the first to admit worry about Kotetsu’s partner—though you’d have to pay them to do it to Barnaby’s face; the two had gotten into a solid groove recently, moving places after the whole Jake business had been put to rest. Barnaby had been _happy_. To have that suddenly taken away again…

“A stroke of luck,” they agreed, pushing their body to lengthen their stride. They didn’t want to lose one of their oldest friends any more than they wanted to see what Barnaby would do if he lost Kotetsu.

* * *

In the end, Kotetsu only had to track a few blocks before he turned into a familiar alley. He stumbled his speed down to a walk; by now he had spent long enough on his feet that he was getting the hang of four legs.

Kotetsu walked over to the spot he recognized as where he had woken up—and, right when he reached it, a scent even stronger than his socks hit his nose. He reared his head back, unprepared for the stink of— of— was this what dark magic smelled like? It was an unfamiliar scent, and he didn’t know what else to call it. It was like someone imagined what a black hole might smell like, and then mixed it with the smell of smoke and a swamp. But… it had been a NEXT, right? Kotetsu couldn’t remember what happened, but he hadn’t imagined anything else. Magic didn’t exist… right?

Kotetsu shook his head. Not the thing to worry about right now. Help his friends figure out he was a dog, then figure out what happened and how to turn himself back.

Kotetsu turned back to the alley entrance, just in time to see Bunny and Nathan reach it, and barked, “Here! I woke up here!”

The other heroes took the turn at a run, but hit the brakes entirely when they reached him. They looked around at the alley.

Kotetsu watched the blood slowly drain from Bunny’s face, while Nathan braced their hands on their hips, fingers starting up a tapping rhythm. He didn’t understand why—he had led them straight to where he’d “disappeared,” after all—until he looked around the alley himself. It was completely empty, with the exception of the usual dumpsters and trash. There were doorways leading into the buildings on either side, but there wasn’t one anywhere near where Kotetsu had stopped. On top of that, the alley was a dead-end. If Kotetsu didn’t know exactly what had happened, he would think he had disappeared into thin air.

And yet, even as he watched, Bunny took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and said, “When the office opens in the morning, I’ll check the police registry for someone with an air power like Sky High’s.”

What.

“I’ll look for teleportation-like powers,” Nathan agreed.

 _What_.

Bunny crossed his arms tightly over his chest and paced in place, studying the ground under Kotetsu’s feet. “Of course, that’s assuming the dog even tracked Kotetsu properly.”

Kotetsu barked in disbelief. They were serious. They— He had found the spot! Exactly! This was the exact spot he had turned, he could smell the mix of human and dog, and was _very_ thankful he hadn’t been awake for that weird fusion, but that thankfulness was rapidly being overwhelmed as he watched his friends put their heads together over how to solve a case that involved Kotetsu being _kidnapped_ instead of _turned into a dog_.

“No,” he muttered, the noise coming out as a huffing whine. He put his nose to the ground and walked in ever-increasing circles. “No, no, no, there must be something here. Something that proves that _something_ happened here. That I didn’t just vanish.” Even if that was just his weird circling, surely that would tell them something strange was going on. “Something… something…”

Kotetsu’s nose bumped into something next to the alley wall that smelled of himself, simultaneously cleaner and stronger than his socks. Blinking and crossing his eyes, he brought the object into focus and immediately started barking, fur standing on end as he pointed his entire body at the object.

* * *

Nathan shivered at the fierce barking, instinctively whirling so their back wasn’t to the noise. The movement put their eyes right on the kai-ken, who, they were sad to admit, they had forgotten about entirely in the wake of disappointment at the momentary dead-end. Except maybe…

“Barnaby,” they breathed.

The younger hero hummed, eyes focused on where his dog had been standing when they ran in. Nathan shoved their elbow into his side.

“Barnaby, your dog found something.”

Barnaby looked up, startled, and Nathan shivered again at the fever in his eyes. He would make sure the hero got a good night sleep; they couldn’t risk him burning himself out—but first, he followed Barnaby to what his dog found.

The kai-ken hadn’t budged from a perfect point. It made it easy to find what the dog had, and Nathan and Barnaby both breathed in sharply.

“Is that…” Barnaby looked at it, wide-eyed, and reached out.

Nathan’s heart thumped painfully, but they reached out as well and stopped Barnaby from picking the object up. “It’s time to contact Apollon Media and the police,” they said. “And we need to leave everything _exactly_ where it is so they can take pictures. The accuracy,” they breathed in deeply, but continued, “the accuracy could be a matter of life and death.”

Barnaby stared at Nathan, and the flame hero thought the other man had never seemed younger.

“How about you go sit at the entrance and wait for the police?” Nathan suggested. “You can take the dog with you and finally figure out a name.”

Barnaby closed his eyes for a moment, but ultimately opened them, nodded, and pressed gently at his dog’s side to lead him toward the street.

Nathan watched them go sit at the curb, taking the time to calm their own breathing. When they were satisfied they were ready, they looked back down at the bloody, broken white and green bits of Wild Tiger’s call band.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: Kotetsu and Antonio. The other heroes arrive and Kotetsu gets named.


	3. Kotetsu and Antonio

Kotetsu didn’t remember how his call band got like that. He _didn’t remember_ , and that was terrifying, because he would think he would remember something like that—but he had already known he had a giant gap in his memory, and it wasn’t as scary as losing Tomoe, or almost losing Kaede, or the lost look on Bunny’s face as he set his phone down after calling Lloyds.

“Oi, Bunny,” Kotetsu said, nosing at his partner’s hand. “Buuuunny. It’s gonna be alright. Ok?”

Bunny’s hand lifted up, then came to rest at the back of Kotetsu’s neck, his thumb rubbing in circles. “You’re a greedy dog, you know that?”

“Sorry, I’m a what now? Who led you here?” Kotetsu tried to pull back a little, except—except Bunny’s hand was heavier than he had thought, and his partner instinctively tightened his hand before letting go, and—and, well, if Bunny needed him, then of course Kotetsu would stay.

He nudged his head back under Bunny’s hand, resting on his partner’s knee and looking up with eyes as wide as he could make them. Bunny looked back with eyes just as wide.

Kotetsu waggled his eyebrows.

Bunny choked on a laugh, then looked away, his own brows furrowing and lip wobbling guiltily. He took a breath, then another, and when he looked back his gaze was set. “Fire’s right,” Bunny said. “You need a name. Especially if you’re going to be sticking around and leading us to clues.”

Kotetsu huffed. “Well it’s not like I’m going anywhere. I might as well help you guys find me, right?”

Bunny hummed a bit, staring down at him, thumb still rubbing in circles. Kotetsu could hear Nathan moving around behind them, but he resolutely stared back. Bunny was quiet. Kotetsu stared. Bunny was _still_ quiet.

Kotetsu tossed his head a bit, though he was careful not to dislodge his partner’s hand. “What are you thinking, Bunny?”

“Keith named his dog John…”

“Oh, _hell_ no,” Kotetsu gasped. This time he did rear back, unable to help himself. “Bunny I swear, if you name me something humanlike there is no hope for you.”

“You don’t like that one, huh?”

Kotetsu stared at him, scandalized. “Bunny, naming me after Keith’s dog is _worse_. I might actually bite you.”

Bunny smiled a little, reaching out a knuckle in the way people usually offer hands to dogs. “Don’t worry, I’ll try to think of something a little more… fierce. Or brave.”

Kotetsu leaned in, bypassing sniffing Bunny’s fingers entirely in favor of butting his head back under for more scratches.

“You found your way to my apartment, after all, even injured as you were. And you led us here. You deserve a brave name.” His fingers lowered to Kotetsu’s nape, scratching at an itchy spot, and Kotetsu sighed.

“There may be hope for you yet, Bunny-chan.”

* * *

Antonio wasn’t sure what he expected when he ran up, panting, at the new crime scene: Fire Emblem holding Barnaby back from something stupid, perhaps, or, in an even worse scenario, Fire Emblem joining Barnaby in accomplishing something stupid. The two were there, after all.

But one thing was for sure: Whatever Antonio expected, it wasn’t Fire Emblem leaning against a brick wall staring up at the sky, not _relaxed_ , but not tense, either. And it wasn’t Barnaby sitting on a curb, pleading with a dog’s back while tossing names into open air.

“Arthur? Like the king. No? What about… um…”

“Barnaby?” Antonio asked. “What are you doing? I was told you found out something new about Tiger.”

Barnaby stiffened, like he hadn’t noticed Antonio run up. But that was impossible, because this was Barnaby. And Antonio had never even stepped behind him. He wasn’t wearing his armor, but—

“I’m trying to decide on a name, but the dog hates all of them.”

And apparently they weren’t going to talk about it. Ok. “The dog?” Antonio asked, sitting down heavily next to Barnaby and peering at the animal. They still had to wait for everyone else, so he might as well pass the time humoring the kid, and… well. Kotetsu would give him an earful when he got back if his partner wasn’t ok.

“He led us here,” Barnaby said. “Didn’t need anything but Kotetsu’s sock. But he’s a stray, so he doesn’t have a collar, and Fire said he should have a name. Except he rejects all of them. Would you rather be nameless?” The last bit was shot at the dog, Barnaby’s eyes narrowing.

Antonio held up his hands, placating. “How do you know he’s rejecting them?”

Barnaby’s eyes narrowed further, but he just said, “Watch.” Turning fully to the dog, he asked, “How about Antonio?”

The dog sent them a glare over his shoulder, his eyebrows rising so high Antonio thought they might meld with his ears. “OK, I get the picture,” he sighed. That was one expressive dog. “How many have you tried?”

“I’ve lost count.”

* * *

Antonio had only been there for a few minutes when Lloyds and HeroTV drove up, the other heroes all skidding up right behind them. Karina didn’t even wait for Keith’s van to come to a complete halt before she opened the door and ran up to them. Ivan and Pao-lin hopped out and followed her as soon as they could, leaving Keith to fumble with his keys while his dog John hopped out, unheeded, and trotted right up to Kotetsu.

“Uuuuuh,” Kotetsu tried to get to his feet, but though he had somewhat adjusted to four legs, he apparently wasn’t ready to stand up quickly. His front ones buckled even as his hind legs collapsed, sending him back into a sitting position—perfect for John to lean in and sniff. “Absolutely not,” Kotetsu protested, scandalized. “Look John, I might look like a dog but I’m not actually and I am in no way prepared for—”

“Why do you smell like Wild Tiger?” John interrupted, tail wagging rapidly behind him as he got in Kotetsu’s face.

Kotetsu leaned back and to the side, pressing into—into nothing. He fell awkwardly on his side, the momentum making him roll over as well. “Why do you think?” he asked, annoyed, and tried once again to get his feet under himself.

John padded around so he was back in Kotetsu’s sightline, head tilting as he watched. “Do you need help?”

“No thank you,” Kotetsu huffed. He had one leg right, now for the second… “I need the practice.”

“So you _are_ Wild Tiger!” John barked excitedly and ran a circle around him, making Kotetsu’s head spin as he tried to follow him.

“I—yes—can you _please_ stand still?”

“Sure!” John came to a sudden halt, tail still wagging and ears perked. “Do you still have those treats you always give me?!”

“Do I—” Kotetsu looked at him in disbelief.

“Aw, our dogs are getting along, Barnaby-san!” Keith’s voice said behind them.

Kotetsu thumped his head on his paws. “Unbelievable,” he moaned.

“Charlie!” Antonio called.

No one responded.

“Charlie, come here boy!”

Was there another dog here…? Kotetsu sat up a bit and looked around. Nope, just him and John.

“I can’t believe this,” Bunny said. “Try it one more time, Antonio.”

Try what?

“Charlie!” Antonio patted his thighs, making eye contact with Kotetsu. “Come here, Charlie!”

Oh. He—Kotetsu was Charlie. Charlie was another name they were trying. Well, too bad. He was only going to respond to Kotetsu and Wild Tiger, until they finally understood that _he_ was Kotetsu. It wouldn’t work if he responded to any random name they threw out—

John licked his muzzle. “Do you want to play, Wild Tiger?!”

“I’m coming!” Kotetsu called, moving as hastily as he could and still manage to stand up. “I’m not Charlie, but I’m coming!”

* * *

Antonio stared as Barnaby’s dog trotted toward him—a little wobbly, but clearly eager to to respond.

“Charlie, huh?” he asked him.

Charlie barked.

“Well now that that’s settled—” Barnaby started, only to be interrupted by Nathan.

“Hold on!” they cried. “You can’t just name him _Charlie_!”

Barnaby’s head rotated slowly to stare Nathan down. “You’re the one who wanted to give him a name, Fire.”

“Yes, but he deserves something more heroic!” Nathan waved their arms in the air, then pointed down at Charlie. “He’s the one who found Tiger’s band!” Charlie barked.

“Wait, this _dog_ did that?” Karina asked, attention pulled away from an argument with Lloyds and Agnes on what to do next. Antonio had heard them talking about testing the blood on the call band and searching the streets around it.

Karina crouched next to Charlie and held out a hand. “Here boy,” she cooed. “Thank you for giving us our lead.”

Charlie butted his head against her hand, coaxing an ear scratch from her.

“He looks like a Maximillian,” Karina decided.

“Perfect!” Nathan clapped their hands together. Barnaby gagged, and Antonio barely held back doing the same. But Charlie barked.

Antonio shook his head. “No, hold on. He’s already Charlie—” Charlie turned his head toward him “—he can’t be Maximillian, too.”

“But Maximillian—” Charlie turned his head back “—is such a handsome name,” Karina said.

“Can we please get back to looking for Tiger?” Agnes interrupted, hands on her hips and staring at them.

Charlie barked and trotted up to her, nudging her hand.

They all looked at him.

“Charlie?”

“Maximillian?”

“Tiger?”

Antonio, Karina, and Nathan all asked at once. Charlie / Maximillian / Tiger looked between them, legs crossing and collapsing into a seated position when he tried to move.

Antonio frowned. That was odd. He’d clearly been against any name before, for him to suddenly respond to three different ones—let alone the name of their missing hero—was weird. He would have to think on it—

“Charlie,” Barnaby said firmly. He rested a hand on his dog’s head. “His name is Charlie, and that’s final.”

* * *

Kotetsu stared up at Bunny. His partner was kidding, right? Sure, he’d responded to Charlie because that was Antonio was calling him, and then to Maximillian because he couldn’t just leave Karina and Nathan hanging, but he’d responded to Tiger with zero prompting! They had to see it, right?

“You see it, don’t you, Bunny?” he barked. “Antonio? I’m _Tiger_!”

Bunny gave his head a half-hearted pat, but no one looked at him. His fellow heroes, Agnes, Lloyds, and a few police officers were all in a circle now, talking about what to do next to find Wild Tiger.

But “I’m right here!” he barked, pressing his cold nose into Bunny’s hand.

Bunny jolted, then gave him another pat. “Can someone look after Charlie? I don’t know when the last time he ate was; he’s probably hungry.”

Kotetsu opened his mouth to protest—how could he be hungry at a time like this?!—only for his stomach to perform the ultimate betrayal: It growled. _Loudly_.

Agnes put her hands on her hips. “If it means you all get back to work, I will gladly take Charlie to work with me.”

Before Kotetsu knew it, he was being shuttled into HeroTV’s van and driven away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: Kotetsu and Agnes. The two get to know each other.


	4. Kotetsu and Agnes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this is a bit late, yesterday was really busy.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> WARNING for dehumanization (other characters feed Kotetsu dog food, and give him a collar).

Agnes had not woken up that morning, nearly twenty hours before, anticipating a missing hero. She also hadn’t expected to be volunteering to take care of a dog. But the heroes needed to be able to focus; after so long missing their friend, they had started coming apart at the seams. She didn’t blame them, of course.

As shocking as it was to realize, she missed Wild Tiger, too. His friendly flirtations, his annoying habit of putting everything—including her show—on the line, his nonstop talking—they had all become part of her daily routine. While she wouldn’t say she loved the hero, she wouldn’t say she hated him, either. And she definitely didn’t want him gone.

She couldn’t say she wanted him back as badly as his fellow heroes did, though. They were the ones who had gone out at night to look for him, despite orders to go home and rest. Keith, Karina, Ivan, and Pao-lin could pretend all they wanted that the call had woken them all up, but she knew as well as they did that the three teens had bullied Keith into taking them with him on his nightly patrol.

And Antonio was no better—that hero lived nowhere _near_ where Tiger’s call band was found; the only way he made it there first was if he grew wings, or if he’d already been in the area.

Barnaby’s new dog had given them all what they desperately needed: hope, and a break from their nerves and anxiety. But the problem was that they didn’t need the latter _right now_. They needed that hours from now, when every inch of their new lead had been exhausted and they had time to rest. They needed that when their hope was at its lowest.

Agnes twisted in the passenger seat, bracing her arm against the center console and peering into the back. Cain was driving, which left Orlando with the equipment and Charlie.

The dog had squished himself all the way up against the back of the console. Despite the problems with Charlie’s legs that Barnaby had quickly told her, the dog was stubbornly remaining upright and relying on Orlando bracing him so that he didn’t fall over on the turns.

“You better not hurt yourself,” she told Charlie.

His eyebrows furrowed as he peered up at her, panting from the effort of standing. Cain coughed, but otherwise didn’t acknowledge she was talking to a dog.

“Those heroes are going to need you, you hear me? Regardless of whether or not we find Tiger, and regardless of if he’s alive or…” Agnes trailed off. He wasn’t dead yet. He was missing, and gone, but not dead. Not yet. _Not yet_.

She reached back and rubbed Charlie’s head.

“We have to keep you in the best shape possible.” She turned away sharply, staring out at the street before them. “Make a stop at the nearest 24/7 pet store, Cain. And hurry up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

* * *

Kotetsu stepped carefully out of the van, but his haunches pushed off the last step and sent his hind-paws to the ground more heavily than he would have liked. His entire body shook as it absorbed the shock—and then three different pairs of hands were steadying him.

“Careful, Charlie,” Agnes sniffed, already turning away when he looked up.

“Careful, Charlie,” Cain and Orlando echoed. The latter turned away to follow Agnes into Apollon Media, but the former gave his side a few reassuring pats.

“Come on, bud,” Cain said. “Let’s get some food in you. That sounds pretty good, right?”

Kotetsu followed them, but his ear twitched restlessly. Food _did_ sound pretty good right now, considering he hadn’t eaten anything since dinner more than twenty-four hours before, but he wanted _human_ food. Not—his nose twitched, taking in the strong scent of fake meat and bread all mashed together and dried. Not whatever _dog food_ they had picked up at the store.

A hand landed on his head, and Kotetsu skittered to the side, head twisting to side-eye Cain. The man had stopped beside him, but his hands had pulled up to his chest—where Kotetsu couldn’t reach them.

“Sorry, Charlie,” Cain said. “I should have let you know I was there.”

Kotetsu didn’t know what to say. Not that that really mattered.

“You walked right past us, bud.”

Kotetsu frowned. What? No, they had barely entered the building—

A bag ripped open, and Kotetsu jumped again, peering around Cain’s legs. Orlando looked back at him, frozen in front of an open food bag with a bowl in one hand and a measuring cup in the other.

“Are you hungry, Charlie?” Agnes asked, leaning over him.

Kotetsu started to back away, unsure what was wrong other than that he hated having her loom over him like that, only for his hind-legs to collapse underneath him _again_. They just would not stop doing that.

Agnes did back up, though, so at least there was that.

“We’re just going to hang out in the lobby, okay, bud?” Cain said. “That way we don’t miss the heroes when they get back, and you have room to move around.”

That… made sense, Kotetsu guessed. He had been moving on autopilot. Not even a year in this building, but he was already used to heading up to the office with Bunny.

He missed going to work already, and he’d only missed a day.

It had only been a _day_.

He had wanted to go to the _office_.

Kotetsu was already sitting. It was only too easy to lay the rest of the way down, set his head on his paws, and close his eyes.

Agnes’s heels clicked away in a fast tempo, then clicked back even faster. She came to a stop right in front of him.

“Charlie.”

Kotetsu ignored her.

“Charlie, you need to eat.”

“I’m sleeping until I’m human again, Agnes,” Kotetsu mumbled.

The smell of dog food wafted into his nose, too close to be more than a foot away from him. Kotetsu turned his head away.

“And I’m _definitely_ not eating dog food.”

Something shifted in front of him. There was the clicking of Agnes’s heels again, the slapping of skin on tile—and then he could smell a mix of film, printer ink, and faded perfume. Agnes, undoubtably. Except… except she hadn’t reapplied perfume in a long time. But she always came to work wearing perfume, why hadn’t she—?

Kotetsu cracked an eye open to see Agnes kneeling before him and holding one hand out. She stared down at him, expression even.

“What did I say about keeping you in shape, Charlie?” she asked.

For the heroes. Kotetsu opened his eyes all the way. The food still looked unappetizing. It was dehumanizing, but then he wasn’t human right now, was he? He was a dog. He might be a dog for the rest of his life, and there was very little he could do about that now that he had tracked down his last location as a real man.

He might not be a hero again.

He might not get to see his little girl again, or his mom or brother.

But for the heroes… his friends, his family… he could be there as a dog. He could be there as the best dog there ever was, and support them in whatever way his current form allowed. Just like he had already tried to do.

Kotetsu stood up slowly. Bunny had already lost his parents, and now he might lose his partner, too. Nathan and Antonio might lose their best friend. And the other heroes… they were all so young, even Keith. They had lost heroes on the job before, but this would be different. He would… if they didn’t figure out how to turn him back, he would just disappear.

Kotetsu leaned down, took his first bite, and swallowed. For his family.

He took another. It actually didn’t taste that bad. Better than it smelled, at least.

Agnes smoothed a hand down his head and clicked a collar into place. “Thank you, Charlie,” she whispered.

Kotetsu ignored both her and the collar and kept eating. He had to keep up his strength and finish getting used to his new body.

For his family.

* * *

Agnes stirred when the lobby doors whooshed open. Groaning, she opened her eyes to see the sun, only just peaking over the horizon, cast halos over the heroes entering the building. It outlined the slump of their shoulders, the way their legs dragged—and Agnes knew.

Taking a deep breath, she stood up. Her muscles ached from sleeping in a chair, but she ignored them. There were more important things to focus on.

“Nothing?” she asked, voice echoing in the large space. Orlando and Cain jolted awake on the couch. Rock Bison shook his head, and Charlie—Charlie _bolted_.

The dog had been resting by the table. He had refused to settle at any of their feet, or even by the heater, and the last she had seen of him was his head resting on his paws, ears pricked toward the door. Now, though, his legs scrambled under him, claws skittering across the tile for only a second before they found purchase and propelled him toward the heroes, Barnaby and Fire Emblem at the front.

“Barnaby!” she called. “Barnaby, watch—!”

Charlie leapt at Barnaby, his paws colliding with the hero’s chest. If he had been wearing his suit, it wouldn’t have done much, but he had been in a hurry to get out and hadn’t bothered with it, so the leap knocked him back into Fire Emblem, who tried to steady him.

Both heroes were dead on their feet, though, and Fire Emblem was in no way prepared to catch both a fully grown man and a medium-sized dog. All three of them fell back into the other heroes, and in a matter of seconds, Charlie was standing in the middle of six downed heroes and a steady Rock Bison. He took the opportunity to jump from one to the next, nosing at their bodies and collecting pets while they were all at his level.

Agnes groaned and shook her head. That was _not_ what she had meant, but… well. She guessed it was ok.

Origami Cyclone, Blue Rose, and Dragon Kid were all giggling, though that was probably also from lack of sleep. Sky High and Fire Emblem were both smiling. Rock Bison actually sighed and sat down next to his fellow heroes, giving Charlie a quick pat when he was next to him. Barnaby, though… Agnes frowned.

“Charlie, come here,” Barnaby ordered. He patted his own thigh as he walked toward the elevators. He took the bag of dog things Cain held out with a muttered thank you. “Agnes, we’ll be in the staff room. Please wake me in a few hours?”

“Of course,” she said, though she didn’t bother to check the current time. He would wake when his body was ready, and not before. He would have Charlie, she noted, watching as the dog disentangled himself from the other heroes and trotted after Barnaby, tongue lolling happily. Wild Tiger… Agnes sat back down, opened her bag, and pulled out her laptop. As much as she hated to admit it, they weren’t going to find him any time soon. Not after their one lead faded to nothing. Barnaby could afford to take care of himself.

“What are you all waiting for?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at the heroes. “Get some sleep! I’ll see what I can do from here in the meantime.”

They could all afford to take care of themselves. They needed Charlie now, but Wild Tiger would need them twice as much when they got him back.

Agnes turned back to her screen, fingers clacking across the keyboard as she wrote emails to the mayors and police commissioners of all the cities in a hundred mile radius. They would get him back.

She didn’t want to know what they would do if they didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: Kotetsu and Barnaby 2. Second verse, same as the first. A little bit harder and a whole lot worse. Or, in which Kotetsu takes off running and so does this fic.


	5. Kotetsu and Barnaby 2

Barnaby’s life had been thrown into chaos by Kotetsu’s disappearance, but as Agnes and Charlie pressured him and the other heroes into taking care of themselves and they failed to turn up more leads, he began to fall into a routine.

Wake up at six in the morning. Take Charlie for a walk. Turn around so his dog actually goes to the bathroom. Go home. Feed Charlie. Get ready. Refill Charlie’s water bowl. Be at work by eight.

Spend the next four hours alternating between hero work and going over the evidence again and again. It was still strange working without a partner, but the media had at least stopped bothering him with questions about what happened to Wild Tiger—half shut up by Barnaby and the other heroes’ pointed non-responses, and half shut up by Agnes yelling at them for an hour.

Go home to take Charlie for another walk and eat lunch.

Go back to work. Alternate between hero work, going over the evidence, and arguing with the police about their lack of involvement. Resist punching someone. Go to the gym. Spar with the other heroes and commiserate over how almost everyone else thinks Kotetsu is dead.

Resist working more and go home to take Charlie on his evening walk. Eat dinner together and refill his water bowl.

Resist Charlie’s sad face and go back out. Scour the streets for hours, sometimes by himself, sometimes with other heroes. Find nothing. Make it home by midnight to ignore the guilt Charlie’s face causes and take him out on his final walk. Crawl into bed thirty minutes later and ignore how calming Charlie’s warmth over his feet is. Fall asleep by one.

Rinse and repeat, until days turned into weeks.

* * *

Kotetsu woke up on the morning of the twenty-eighth day he had been a dog. Rolling over, he stared along the length of the bed at Bunny. His partner had let him sleep beside him the first night they returned to his apartment, and Kotetsu had made a point of doing it every night after.

It was… it was different, but not in the same way that eating dog food or wearing a collar were. It was a good different: Taking comfort in the heat of Bunny’s leg pressed into his side, the sound of another person breathing. Knowing that, even though he was a dog, he wasn’t alone.

He thought it helped Bunny, too. His partner was quieter and more relaxed with him on the bed. There was the occasional nightmare, when all Kotetsu could do was burrow into Bunny’s side more and press his cold nose to his hand, even while doing his best to block out the nearly silent cries Bunny made. But they weren’t _often_ , and even if that was all Kotetsu could do, it was still something. He would take that.

But last night had been different. Bunny had had a nightmare, and a single word had slipped out among his cries.

_“Kotetsu!”_

Kotetsu shivered and jumped out of bed. Hours later, the sound of Bunny crying for him still echoed in his head. He had thought Bunny was doing better. He had thought they _both_ were. He had gotten used to being a dog, and his legs no longer slipped out from underneath him. He had formed a routine, and Bunny had been part of it. Sure, his partner and the other heroes still went out looking for him at night. But they didn’t do it obsessively. He—

Kotetsu shook his head, tail limp between his legs as he trotted through the hall into the living room. He had been fooling himself, thinking that Bunny and the others could recover from his disappearance and apparent death. Why had he thought that? Heroes had died in the past, and it hadn’t been easy then. Why would it be easy now?

“Charlie?” Bunny called. Kotetsu ignored him and nosed at the front door.

He had resigned himself to being a dog forever too soon. Sure, the other heroes had no leads. But he had something they didn’t: Knowledge that he had been turned into a dog, the little knowledge he had of the night he disappeared, and the dog senses to do something about it. He should never have given up when he did. That wasn’t what heroes did. That wasn’t what _Wild Tiger_ did.

“Charlie, are you ready for your walk?” Bunny’s voice echoed in the hall.

A walk meant a leash. A leash meant Bunny holding tight to the other end. A leash meant Kotetsu wasn’t going anywhere.

Kotetsu worked his mouth around the door handle, thankful that it locked automatically and that it wasn’t a knob. Either would have stopped him before he even tried—or at least meant he would have had to try a different way.

“Charlie?!” Bunny cried, and Kotetsu flinched, but managed to turn the handle. Backing up, he looked behind him to see his partner staring at him, open-mouthed with tears already welling up.

“I’m sorry, Bunny. But I have to do this.”

Kotetsu ran out the door.

* * *

Barnaby ran after Charlie, but by the time he banged open the stairwell door his dog had already disappeared. This was the penthouse, though. Maybe—

Barnaby ran to the elevator and hit the down button, pacing back and forth and hoping it would come quickly. If he could get downstairs before Charlie, he could stop his dog from going outside. Or at least go with him. Maybe he was just really eager for his walk? What other reason—

Charlie had shown no signs of being unhappy. Barnaby had shared his bed, his food, and his home. He had been thankful to have someone else in his life, even though a dog could never fill the hole Kotetsu left. He had been— he hadn’t been _happy_ , but they had been together. And Charlie had been happy.

Right?

* * *

“I’m sorry, Mr. Brooks,” the receptionist shook his head. “The dog ran out a few minutes ago. I’m not sure which way he went.”

* * *

It took Kotetsu three tries to find the right alley, but only a second to find where his call band had been—while his scent had been washed away by nearly a month of weather, his blood had permanently stained the ground. Kotetsu sat and stared at it, then looked around the alley. There had to be a clue here… something the other heroes missed… something like—

Kotetsu’s tail whipped back and forth, uncaring of how it quickly gathered the dirt it passed through. How had he missed it before? He had led Bunny and Nathan to where he woke up, but he’d had to walk in circles to find his call band. It had been destroyed _before_ he fell unconscious—while he was still human! Which meant—

Kotetsu leapt to his feet, pacing in thought.

Everything had happened so fast, he hadn’t really considered the blood. It had made sense that his call band would fall off when his human hands transformed into thinner dog paws. But that wouldn’t move it to a different spot or destroy it, and it wouldn’t coat the ground with blood. And unless the transformation had healed his injuries, he hadn’t been hurt besides turning into a dog. Which meant… which meant it’s not his blood.

Kotetsu whirled back around, stumbling slightly over his own feet for the first time in weeks as he raced to the dried spot and stuck his nose directly above it. Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

If he was right, this was the blood of whoever transformed him. His own scent was long gone, but the blood—the blood had become ingrained in the ground. The top layers had washed away, but there it was. The faint scent of someone entirely human, of black holes and pepper. Someone who wasn’t Kotetsu.

If this had been planned, he had no further leads. But if this had all been because he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, there was a possibility—however small—that he could find himself in the right place at the right time. The attacker could be nearby.

Raising his head, Wild Tiger set off at a run into the streets of Stern Bild, mouth open and breathing in the scents of the morning.

* * *

Barnaby didn’t go to work. Instead, he set out on the streets, looking for Charlie and asking people if they had seen a medium-sized dog with orange and black stripes.

“Like a tiger?” they would ask, and Barnaby would swallow, the ache in his throat growing stronger, as he remembered the last time he scoured the streets for a tiger.

But he always said “yes.”

* * *

Wild Tiger caught the trace scent of black holes and pepper when he rounded a corner a few blocks from the alley. His stride lengthened, becoming more purposeful as he tore through the streets.

* * *

Agnes called Barnaby thirty minutes after eight.

“Where are you?” she demanded.

“I’m only—”

“You haven’t been late in weeks.” _Since Kotetsu disappeared._

“I’m sorry. My— Charlie got out this morning. I’m trying to find him.”

Agnes muttered something that Barnaby barely caught, something about “this is not what I told you to do,” but then said, “I’ll send the other heroes out.”

Barnaby’s heart beat faster. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t, but I will. Accept the help, Barnaby.”

He stared across the street, not really seeing. “Thank you, Agnes.”

She scoffed. “Thank me when we have Charlie back.”

* * *

Wild Tiger skidded to a halt, yelping as his paws scraped against the rough pavement in an attempt to not run over Sky High. The other hero had dropped out of the sky and landed right in front of him, arms open and beckoning.

“Come here, Charlie,” Sky High cooed, patting his thigh even while he reached up to his comm. “I found him.”

Wild Tiger backed away slowly, tail between his legs and ears back. He was cold, and dirty, and hurting from running all over the city—but the scent he’d been tracking had been growing stronger with every paw step, and it was so strong now that the pepper stung his nose.

“I’m sorry,” he said for the second time that morning. “But I have to do this.”

He darted forward, keeping his body low as he dodged Sky High’s hands and ran on. A few more blocks… just a few more blocks!

* * *

Barnaby ran through Stern Bild, heart pounding in his chest and echoing in his ears. He had been terrified the first call of the day would come in and interrupt their search. He hadn’t expected to find Charlie in less than an hour. He _should_ have expected his dog to run. Why wouldn’t he, when that had been the cause of all the trouble in the first place?

* * *

“Charlie!” Sky High called, his boots thundering on the pavement.

Wild Tiger did his best to ignore him and keep running. He had followed the scent into a tight alleyway, which had the added benefit of making Sky High choose between running and flying into walls. The hero had decided to run, giving Wild Tiger the lead in the chase.

A door opened ahead of them, slamming into the brick wall with a clang as an average-looking man walked out. Wild Tiger got ready to dodge—and then the scent of black holes and pepper crashed into him, blurring the scent of anything else and making his eyes narrow on the new person in the alley. He pointed his nose right at him, ears pricked forward, tail raised high, and lip curled up. Sky High shouted something behind him, but Wild Tiger didn’t hear what he said over the rush of blood in his head and the pounding of his paws as he ran at his attacker.

This was the person who had turned him into a dog. The person who had taken him from his family. The person who had _hurt his family_. Kotetsu let him get away once—he wasn’t letting that happen again.

The man turned to face him, eyes wide and scent turning sour with fear, and Kotetsu leapt forward.

* * *

Barnaby arrived at an alley a few miles from Kotetsu’s apartment to the sound of sirens and people shouting orders. The Apollon Media van sat right outside it, and it was all shut off from the main street by crime scene tape. Antonio met him on one side.

“Whoa, Barnaby,” the older hero said. “You can go in in a minute, but I need to talk to you first, ok?”

Barnaby frowned, trying to see past him, but it was impossible: The other man was just too tall. Giving up, he folded his arms and glared at him. “What is it?”

“Charlie led us to the man responsible for Wild Tiger’s disappearance,” Antonio said evenly, steadily, as though he hadn’t just rocked the ground beneath Barnaby’s feet.

“He— he did what?” Barnaby asked.

“Do you remember that blood sample we took from the call band, the one that turned out to not be in the system, but it had been so long we thought no one could track it?” Antonio turned slightly and nodded down the alley. “He tracked it, and Sky High followed him here and watched him jump the man. Didn’t hurt him or anything, just knocked him down and held him there till Sky High caught up with them. Charlie was apparently more than a little frightening, though, because the moment Sky High was there he was babbling all about what he did to Wild Tiger.”

Barnaby stared at him, wordless. Antonio took a moment, looking past him at where Barnaby knew the Apollon Media van was, then continued.

“Barnaby, none of us are at fault for not realizing, ok? We just… we have to be there for Kotetsu, and—”

Antonio’s eyes drifted back to the van when he said Kotetsu’s name, and Barnaby whirled around and dashed toward it. Antonio called after him, but Barnaby ignored him. Kotetsu. They had found Kotetsu. They had—!

The back of the van was open, but it was empty save for Agnes and Charlie. The two were sitting next to one another, not touching, and Agnes was in the middle of saying something when Barnaby ran up. He looked between them in bewilderment. He was happy to see Charlie, of course, but after thinking his partner was there, his dog was… not a disappointment, per se, but definitely—

Charlie knocked him to the ground in a whirlwind of paws and fur, tail wagging at mach speed, and pranced and danced all around him before deciding that shoving himself in Barnaby’s lap and leaning his entire weight on his chest was the best option.

For lack of anything else to do, Barnaby settled one hand in a half-hug around Charlie, braced himself on the other, and looked up at Agnes.

She smirked down at him. “I thought he was happy we finally figured everything out, but that was nothing compared to now.”

Charlie pulled away from Barnaby a bit and snarled at her. Agnes laughed. Barnaby looked between them, brow furrowed, then looked up at Antonio as the other hero caught up with him.

“He doesn’t know yet,” Antonio commented, staring first at Charlie, then at Agnes.

Charlie barked. Agnes rolled her eyes.

Antonio sighed, but explained, “Charlie is Kotetsu; he was attacked by a man with the power to turn an animal into a different species—even humans. It apparently wears off after a full month anyway, but he’s stuck like that for another few days.”

“I should have known from the beginning,” Agnes said. “Answers to Tiger and follows Barnaby around, who else does that sound like?”

Charlie—Kotetsu—barked again, and Barnaby looked down at him. “Kotetsu?” he said, and Kotetsu barked again, shoving himself back into Barnaby’s chest in what he was realizing was a pseudo-hug. He leaned into it for a moment, then back again. “I can’t believe this.”

* * *

For the remaining three days Kotetsu was a dog, he and Bunny gave each other space, but stuck to the same general vicinity.He himself was in disbelief that everyone knew who he was, while Bunny seemed in shock about all of it in general. He would call for Kotetsu, then blink down at him when he trotted up.

No matter how much the revelation rocked Bunny, though, it didn’t compare to how much it shook their routine. Kotetsu acted as he normally did, but Bunny hesitated to take him on walks with the collar—removed at the alley—and leash, despite the fact they both knew it was the law, and that Kotetsu couldn’t just stay in Bunny’s apartment. The food stayed the same because neither of them were sure what his body could handle otherwise, but Kotetsu sat at the table like a normal person.

And except for when Bunny called for Kotetsu’s attention, neither of them spoke to one another.

It hadn’t been loud before, but they had interacted. Bunny had murmured quiet musings and worries to Charlie, and Charlie had laid there and listened, tail wagging behind him and occasionally nosing at Bunny’s hand or barking.

Now, when Bunny turned to Kotetsu to say something, he would blink at his tiger stripes and turn away again. Kotetsu tried to trot after him the first few times, but after each one led to Bunny shooing him away with an exasperated “not now, Kotetsu,” he learned to stay away.

The one thing that stayed the same was Kotetsu’s place on the bed, pressed up against Bunny’s legs. With everything that had changed, neither of them were willing to give up the comfort the other’s warmth provided at night.

* * *

The night Kotetsu should turn back, he and Barnaby sat on his couch and stared at one another. The other heroes had offered to be there, too, but Barnaby had told them no; he didn’t want to overwhelm Kotetsu.

With what they knew now, they figured his call band had either been taken off and destroyed during a fight or after his transformation, but his other clothes hadn’t been found, so they had probably transformed with him and he should at least be dressed when he transformed back. But dog and human senses were very different, even without the possible pain the transformation would cause and any walking issues he would have.

Barnaby looked away from Kotetsu, ignoring the concerned yelp his partner made. No matter what Antonio said, he should have at least suspected what had happened from the very beginning. Mobility issues with no injuries. Familiarity with him and their fellow heroes. Answering to ‘Tiger.’ But he hadn’t seen it. He’d been so blinded by the situation, so entirely compromised, that he’d ignored the most prominent clues.

“Bunny?”

“It’s _Barnaby_ —”

Barnaby’s eyes widened and he whirled around, almost falling off the couch in his hurry only to be steadied by hands that he knew better than his own, even after a month of absence.

“Ko— Kotetsu?” he whispered, staring into narrowed brown eyes.

“Are you alright, Bunny? You seem—”

Barnaby has never known Kotetsu to be quiet, but throwing his arms around his partner, squeezing tight, and burying burning eyes in the crook of his neck and shoulder did the trick for a moment.

“Bunny?” Even now, Kotetsu’s voice was quiet.

Barnaby pulled back, shivering a little, and wiped at his eyes. Smiling, he said, “It’s good to have you back, Kotetsu.”

No matter how much it was his fault for what happened, Barnaby was selfish. He didn’t have it in him to stay away.

* * *

Kotetsu’s eyes hurt from all the colors, and he felt like he was underwater from how dulled his sense of smell and hearing was, but he focused on Bunny the best he could.

“You’re _sure_ you’re ok?” he repeated.

Bunny rolled his eyes. “Yes, Kotetsu, I’m ok. Just glad to see you.”

Kotetsu didn’t say he never left; he knew it hadn’t felt like that. But still— “You’ve known I’ve been here for days.”

Bunny shifted in his seat, but kept staring at him. “Yes, well, it didn’t feel like it. Perhaps if I’d figured it out sooner it would be better. But that’s not the point right now, Kotetsu. How are—”

“That is _absolutely_ the point!” Kotetsu interrupted, scandalized. “Bunny, what are you talking about?! I’m the one who gave up trying to show you who I really was—”

“It should never have gotten that far—”

“Bullshit—”

“Kotetsu!”

“ _What?_ ” Kotetsu asked, jolting to his feet the best he could. He was a little wobbly after getting used to four legs, but he managed ok, planting his feet a little wider apart than normal for balance. “Are you going to scold me for my language, Bunny? For getting caught in the first place? Or was that your fault too? You can’t take credit for everything, Bunny!”

Bunny shot to his feet and, voice cracking, cried, “You were gone, Kotetsu! You were gone, and I was here, uselessly searching for you when you were right next to me the entire time! How do you expect me to feel?”

Kotetsu didn’t have a response. Instead, he swayed a bit on his feet, panting from his outburst and watching Bunny do the same.

They stayed like that for a minute, and then—

“I’m going to bed,” Kotetsu said. “I’m tired, and I want to see the others tomorrow.”

He went to bed alone.

He didn’t comment when Bunny climbed in thirty minutes later, just held the blankets up for him and then turned away.

He wouldn’t have been able to sleep alone anyway.

* * *

Barnaby woke up slowly without an excited dog jumping on his legs. Opening his eyes, he turned his head and stared at Kotetsu. The other man was still out cold, limbs sprawled everywhere and mouth open and snoring. Counting himself lucky that Kotetsu wasn’t drooling and that they weren’t tangled together, Barnaby slipped out of bed easily enough and went into the kitchen.

He wanted to make something nice for Kotetsu to eat. Even with their fight, his partner had been stuck with dog food for an entire month. He should probably avoid anything too rich for now, but he figured toast with butter and jelly should be ok.

* * *

Barnaby was just getting out the silverware when Kotetsu stumbled in, rubbing at his eyes and yawning.

Barnaby looked him over with narrowed eyes. “Are you feeling better today?”

“Hm?” Kotetsu slumped into a chair at the table, peered down at the toast already in front of him, and then squinted up at Barnaby. “Yeah. Just—” he yawned again “—just need to go for a good walk, stretch out the kinks.”

“So normal old man stuff?”

“Yeah, normal— hey!” Kotetsu yelped, pointing at him. “Normal person stuff, thank you very much.”

“Hm,” Barnaby hummed as he set down the silverware, then sat down across from Kotetsu. “Whatever you say, Kotetsu.”

Kotetsu squinted at him again, then scoffed and picked up his knife and the butter. “Yeah, yeah. You laugh. Just wait till—”

“I’m your age?”

Kotetsu audibly growled.

Barnaby looked at him, startled, and his partner clutched at his throat. “That was…”

“Yeah,” Kotetsu coughed. “I guess there are a few side effects, besides the whole—” he gestured with his knife, almost flinging butter everywhere.

Barnaby looked away, then back again. “I am sorry, Kotetsu. I know you don’t want to accept it, or even believe I’m at fault. But I am sorry.”

“I never thought it was your fault, Bunny.” Kotetsu dug into the jelly and smeared some across his toast, all while staring at Barnaby. Barnaby shifted, uncomfortable under the unusual weight of his partner’s gaze. “I’m not going to argue who’s to blame with you anymore than we already have, because I don’t want to drive us apart when things should finally be getting back to normal. But I— I want you to know that much, ok?” Kotetsu took a giant bite of toast, moaning in delight, and Barnaby finally let himself look down at his own plate.

“Idiot Tiger,” he muttered, and bit into his own toast, relishing the sound of his partner trying to protest and eat at the same time.

* * *

Kotetsu walked towards Apollon Media on his own two feet. Bunny had frowned while studying him on their way to his car, but Kotetsu absolutely refused to greet the other heroes leaning on his partner. They had been worried about him for a month, and it was bad enough Bunny saw him struggling and felt guilty about it all—he didn’t need the others like that, too.

“Are you ok?” Bunny asked quietly, walking calmly enough beside him, but still shooting him the occasional worried glance that Kotetsu then ignored.

“I’m fine.” Worried himself about Bunny, but Kotetsu meant it when he said he refused to argue about it anymore. It was time for them both to heal from the whole situation, and they couldn’t do it separately. Their partnership had grown enough that Kotetsu could willingly admit that, just as he could admit that it would take time before either of them forgave themselves for the mistakes they made. But they had the time, now. Time, and friends to help them through it.

“Tiger!” Nathan called, running out the door. Antonio followed them more sedately, but his giant grin gave away how excited he was. Karina walked next to him, an extra bounce in her step, and Keith, Ivan, and Pao-lin ran out behind them all, quickly catching up to Nathan and screeching into an excited half-circle around Kotetsu.

“Are you ok?” Pao-lin asked, peering up at him.

Kotetsu grinned down at her and ruffled her hair. “I’m getting there,” he reassured. “I’m at _least_ at ninety percent already.”

Bunny coughed next to him, and Kotetsu shot him a glare even while stepping into Nathan’s hug, Antonio sweeping them both up a second later.

“I’ll be back to work before you know it,” he insisted.

“Good,” Agnes said, heels clicking on the pavement as she approached them all. “Ratings have been down without you, Wild Tiger. Everyone wants to know what happened to yours and Barnaby’s partnership.”

“Uh-huh,” Kotetsu laughed. Antonio set him and Nathan down, and he steadied himself on them both for a moment before letting go. “Are you sure you didn’t miss me for me, Agnes?”

“Positive,” she said. “Now get inside, all of you! At least pretend you’re going to work.”

Kotetsu grinned, threw one arm around Bunny, and walked into Apollon Media, his fellow heroes by his side. It was good to be back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Next Up: Kotetsu and Nathan. Bunny betrays Kotetsu by sticking one of Kotetsu’s own stinky socks in his nose. Ew, Bunny!
> 
> Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! If you did, please leave a comment and check out my tumblr at queenofmoons67! I accept prompts, love answering any questions people have, and do my best to post updates on my latest WIPs (currently including a giant "Tiger and Bunny" x "Boku no Hero Academia" fic, as well as fics for "Daiya no Ace" and "Yona of the Dawn").
> 
> And if you missed it up top: This will be updated every Wednesday!


End file.
